Omega

hello,

  does anyone know anything about the mid 60s railmasters with a white face?  this looks like a very elegant watch (and a nice complement to my contemporary RM) but seems to be significantly different from other RMs

thanks

 

 

Hi

 I am in the process of doing a write up on a early Railmaster.   The 1960s Railmasters with the " Railmaster Offical "dial was a US market watch.   They were normally powered by a caliber 550 17 j adjusted to two positions.  They were Rail Road approved timekeepers.  They were NOT Anti-magnetic like the first generation manual wind railmasters of the last 1950s.  They are not in high demand in comparison to the early model.

The photos you posted.  I never seen one in that style case before.  The one I have seen had thin lugs and very thin bezel.  The case looked like a DeVile style one piece case.

Good Hunting

Bill Sohne

The dials are painted enamel and look very well when viewed in the metal, the movement should hack via the crown. At least two variants of case (not including the plated version) were used for this niche toolwatch along with two variants of dial (possibly three). Longines, Universal Geneve and Ball also offered this specification and each had non-magnetic properties without the use of a soft iron faraday cage. Some versions have a fourth hand offering a  second time-zone via the 24 hr scale (though the dial finish on these versions always appears to be much cruder in execution).

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that is not bulky but legible.

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...is the one I "inherited" and that you helped me suss out many moons ago!


Mine definitely doesn't hack, though, and is adjusted to 3 positions.
Cheers,
Tom

....looks like i'm recalling the watch incorrectly....at least with regards to it "Hacking", unless the version that is marked Railroad Official Standard is the version that hacks. Not too sure what differentiates a Railmaster Official with a Railroad Official standard other than the 24hr markings, if anybody knows then i would love to hear.

no movement shot i'm afraid as its with all the others locked away to be sold.

without the date its really an early version of the co-axial model. 

Hi all,

  thanks for the information - i bought the watch shown above and it looks even better in person!  nice addition to my RM collection.

 

thanks again.

 

John

Catherine and Mr. Sohne,

The story behind the short lived Omega "Railtoad official standard" watch is pretty cool. (to me any way!) 

When omega introduced this watch in the early 60's, Ball was angry. Very angry. After a rapid exchange of attorney letters from Ball proving that Ball had used that term as their motto for close to 70 years, omega agreed to cease and desist.

Thus, those watches were made for a very scant amount of time.

The reason, btw, that these watches had large so called "boxcar" type dials, in bold black numbers with white background is because that iw what the Ball family insisted upon. the Ball family had watch inspectors on millions of miles of roads and were the arbiters of what was an official railraod wattch and to be allowed on the roads.  For over 60 years Ball insisted on easy to read dials before a watch could be accepted on the roads that they controlled.

                                                                 Jeff Hess
(and yes, i have copies of the attorney letters.)

Hi Jeff...

Welcome to the forum.  Looking forward to seeing you he more often.


Here is a write up on another uncommon Railmaster...

omega.watchprosite.com

Best regards

Bill Sohne

Jeff , if they are so scarce why do we see so many in forums, google auctions . etc ?
any idea on production numbers ?

regs
pete